


Snape's dark mark

by TFALokiwriter



Series: Sirius Black was the Potters Secret Keeper [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Baby Harry Potter, Birthday Party, Confrontations, Gen, Guilt, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23445799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: With a little teasing, Snape makes a decision and acts upon it regarding his dark mark.
Series: Sirius Black was the Potters Secret Keeper [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1644202
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Snape's dark mark

“Snape, why do we hardly ever see you without your sleeves?”

“It is cooler in dark clothing in the heat, James.” 

“Really?” James raised his brows, surprised.

“It is.” Snape confirmed with a nod. "Makes the clothing more desirable."

“I mean in the summer time when it isn’t very hot and it is cool weather out." James specified as he cut himself a slice of cake. "Like times you just sit back, relax, in short sleeves. . ." he waved the knife in mid air from side to side. "I haven’t _seen_ you in short sleeves.”

“I have a better taste in fashion." Snape reminded. "You don’t. I did win the annual fashion contest in all seven years."

“Alright. Fair enough bringing that up." James shook his hand then lowered the knife down on to the table. "Speaking of fashion, did you ever take up the modeling gig that Lily recommended?”

The slytherin looked toward the head Potter, having a double take, at the comment.

“What modeling ‘gig’?” Snape raised his brow as James slid a slice on to his plate. 

“Oh. . ." James said, sheepishly. "I thought she was being serious.”

Then James whisked away with the slice of cake.

Snape carefully negotiated the rose corner of the cake on to the plate then turned toward the dining room.

“Lily, do you have any modeling gigs that I don’t know about?”

What was left of the marauders broke into laughter and it was Lily who laughed the hardest. 

“I can’t believe you made him SAY that!” Remus laughed.

James hadn’t changed much from Hogwarts, he was just as mischievous as he had bullied the professor in his youth. However, his pranks were more light heart than before and it wasn’t quite a hex. But a hex in many ways because James made him say it. But, it was quite amusing and it wasn’t as humiliating as before. Snape rolled his eyes then four year old Harry bumped into his leg. 

“Best be careful, Potter.” Snape looked down toward the boy. “You might bump into a fugitive Dementor that way.”

“Snape girly!” Potter exclaimed. 

“I did not say that around him!” James insisted, immediately. 

“I did.” Remus said with a chuckle. 

Lily laughed, harder, as Snape sat in the other chair and James patted on her back.

* * *

Harry’s third birthday party ended without much fanfare and members of the group left the Potter manor. Peter was the last to exit the Potter manor with a wave then turn away as James closed the door. He walked on down the path from the house and closed the gate behind him with a spell. He sensed someone was close beside him just a few feet away

Peter stopped, looking up toward a figure standing in the dark standing in front of him---someone who made his heart leap at first.

"Sirius?" Peter whispered. 

His mind and heart raced quite loudly in his mind feeling the hair all over him raise up. The figure stepped forward becoming illuminated and the fear, shock, and confusion went away as Peter recognized the stray member of the group that had remained. His figure began to relax but his pants had already been soiled out of fear.

"No." Was the reply in the next whisper that belonged to the current Potions Master staring at him with intrigue and intent. "Professor Snape."

Peter removed the stain in his pants with a spell, still quite embarrassed and ashamed, in a rush.

"What is so pressing that you had to scare me like that!" Peter demanded in his next whisper. "You know how I _hate_ being startled like that."

"It is something that is very important and I had to catch you on the first opportunity." Snape began to explain himself quite apologetic for the startle. "You are not easy to find when you are not at St Mungo's Hospital. You are still frightened of being found and killed by a Neo-Death Eater trying to restart what Voldemort started."

"I-i-i-i-it is more serious than you think it is and probable!" Peter stammered.

“How did you really lose your arm, Pettigrew?” Snape asked.

Snape gestured toward the sleeve that had sharp pointed folds. Pettgirew slid his sleeve up then looked sorrowfully upon it. It had the general shape and appearance of metal rats embedded in it as part of the design and dozens of tails stood out from the sides even below and above. 

“I sliced it off, staged a attack, and got it into the muggle medical record.”

Pettigrew slid his sleeve down then raised his brows.

“Thinking of doing the same, Professor Snape?”

“I am.” Snape replied.

“Snape, it’s very . . . Snape, you strike me as. . erm. . . the tidy kind of man.”

“And is it not tidy?” Snape asked. 

“It’s just not your street let’s just put it that way.” Peter replied. 

“I used to be a Death Eater, Pettigrew.” Snape said. “It will be done without the dramatic flair as you have.”

“I thought you had done that a long time ago.” Peter said. 

“I loathe what association that I still have of the vile Death Eaters and it burns me every day knowing that I have a mark of which Lily hates with every being of her body. I wish to be free of that feeling.”

“It won’t go away if you do that.” Peter said. 

“The guilt won’t but the reminder will be gone.” Snape said. “I am going to start a new style with short sleeves.”

“Got a good lie to cover your prosthetic?” Peter asked. 

“Potion experiment blew up in my home and it was quite the spectacle. Tampered with by some Death Eater after a attack that went horridly wrong and irritating.” Snape explained to the rat. “This should do.”

“It will do.” Peter said with a smile.

“How do you live with your guilt?” Snape asked. 

“I cry.” Peter said. “Do you?”

“No.” Snape said. 

Pettigrew looked at Snape, skeptically, then Apparated away and so did Snape.

* * *

It was in the summer of 1984 that Snape put his plan to work. Peter had told him in person after the birthday party how he had ridden himself of his dark mark and lifted up his sleeve to reveal the prosthetic arm. Snape jotted down the measurements of his arm, fingers, and his wrist on the parchment and a request regarding the theme to the prosthetic then folded the letter until it were small enough to tuck into the envelope and slipped in some galleons. 

He handed it to his owl then opened the window and watched it fly away. Snape retrieved the numbing potions, two large cloths, a box, and the other necessary materials. The box was the kind that could easily be destroyed with a fire just as the potions master intended. He came to the backyard of his small cottage then slipped off his dark uniform and assembled the contraption in front of him then the potions were set on the second towel alongside him.

With the task prepared to be performed, Snape took a big gulp of a heavy numbing potion then raised his wand up and moved it toward his arm. He stared at the dark mark that taunted him. Snape chanted holding the limb above the cloth. He watched a red line start from below his elbow, how painlessly numb it was, then observed the limb fall into the cloth. The wound was healed with a few strokes of his wand then carefully set about in ridding himself of the arm putting it into the box. 

He started the fire and watched the flames consume the box wearing a mask. He watched for hours as the box burned away and so did what was left of the life that he had once lead. His owl returned on the ledge of the window then Snape arrived and took off the package that the owl had retrieved. With a few more strokes of the wand, pieces of the wound was uncovered and nerves were connected to the ports of the prosthetic with guidance. In a little less of a hour, the machine operated like a hand as his fingers moved. 

No more dark mark. 

Snape noted to himself, staring at the fingers that had the design of little snakes as reminders of his house; _Least, I can wear short sleeves._


End file.
